Is it possible to balance all 8 Areas of your life? If so, how do you find this balance? How do you know when you've achieved a balanced lifestyle? Anytime you have a goal in life, you'll find yourself thinking of all the other areas of your life to see if what you want is realistic. In this post, we'll introduce Cornerstone 9 and talk about finding balance in all 8 Areas so that you CAN achieve your life goals!
The Impossibility of Balance
In a lot of circles, you hear people refer to balance like every area of your life should have the same amount of time and effort put toward it. If that's what balance means, then "balance" should never be your focus. It will seem impossible, and you'll probably drive yourself crazy trying to do it. That's why no one does it. However, in order to achieve your highest potential, you will have to work on all 8 Areas of your life since none of them are more important than the others. It's okay if finding balance means spending more time in one area, as long as the other areas are still appropriately supported and functioning at the same time. In other words, balance may not mean that each area gets the same amount of focus, but none of them should ever get left out. What's the goal then? Strategic planning.
Strategic Planning
Finding balance is all about strategic planning. Planning what? The 8 Areas of your life. Not only is this principle essential to The Big Day, but the 8 Areas are also part of our unique strategy to move forward in life – the 11 Cornerstones. Cornerstone 9 – the 8 Areas of your life – emphasizes the importance of strategically planning out all 8 Areas. It's like creating the architectural blueprints for a massive structure – an excellent life! Here are five steps developed by The Big Day® to get you started:
- Familiarize yourself with the 8 Areas of your life. How will you know how to successfully manage every area of your life if you're not even aware of them?
- Dream big. Spend 30 minutes coming up with a vision for each of the 8 Areas that is "above and beyond". Spend at least 5 minutes a day specifically envisioning the goal for one area, and continue this the next day with a goal for the next area. Then repeat.
- Create a blueprint. For each of the 8 Areas, write down specific priorities needed in order to achieve your goal for that area. Know that each of these priorities is a dedicated appointment. This means you'll have to schedule time for it, and put it on the calendar.
- Sign a contract. This is not just any contract. This is a contract with yourself stating what your goal is, how you intend to achieve it, and who is keeping you accountable to do so. Sign and date it. When you've accomplished your goal, write "COMPLETE" at the top! Take a moment to dance. Then move on to the next big dream.
- Keep yourself accountable. This requires measuring and tracking your progress in each of the 8 Areas of your life. Grade yourself on your progress every 90 days.
In our book, The Big Day, we've developed a system that expands on all these steps. We also share the forms related to each of them including "Above and Beyond", "Blueprint Contract", and "Quarterly Personal Assessment", all of which will help you evaluate yourself and stay on track in both the short- and long-term.
Read more: Change Your Thinking: Powerful Learning Agenda (PLA) >>
Finding Balance in Life
You'll find balance when you equally value each of the 8 Areas of your life. As we discussed, this doesn't mean you spend the same amount of time on them. It means that you have a realistic, above-and-beyond goal for each area, and you're working to achieve that goal! When you're intentional about investing into all 8 Areas of your life, you'll experience a sense of balance and fulfillment. And better yet, you'll increase your overall quality of life!
Go ahead. Try it for yourself and see how it goes! #90DayCommitment #Leadership
Take the next step. Read more: Live Above Average with These Top 3 Disciplines >>
